The Maxfields

The Maxfields

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Abounding Joy

Okay, so how many more months until I can move? Every time I visit the Rez I get more and more excited.

This past Tuesday, my 8th grade class took a trip to the reservation with my teacher, my mom, and me to get a glimpse of life on the Rez. I was so happy they could get an experience of my future life and so ecstatic I could get back to the reservation. We had an amazing time.

On Wednesday, we spent the first half of the day working at the new church: painting sheds, scraping rust, and painting the church. I loved getting to know the spring break teams from projects and hearing how they, too, were being blessed by their experience at Sacred Road. It was also pretty cool to be known as "the family" who was moving to the Rez.

I was most looking forward to my time at kids club though. And I wasn't disappointed. The precious faces and personalities of these children never fail to bless me. As we drove into Totus park, seeing those children running around made me smile so big. Soon after we arrived the children who did not live in the Totus housing development drove in on the Sacred Road buses. As the first girl, Jill, (top left) climbed on my back, I felt this sensation of overwhelming joy and peace and love. I met more children yesterday than I have ever met and each one of them had their own adorable smile and pair of sweet, chocolate eyes. The happiness in each of these suffering children is astounding. You think you had a bad day? Nothing compares to these kids who go through unbelieveable things and still find joy.

I am so happy and feel so blessed that I could visit the reservation again. It gets me so excited for my new life and the blessings that will overcome the hardships.

Please continue to pray for a swift building process as the church building is finished. Pray that these kids will continue to come to kids club during their spring break weeks, and that they will get excited to come to kids club in the summer. Pray that my family will still find peace in our new adventure. Praise God that I could have this trip and that we're so excited.


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Hope Fellowship Church in process

Painting the sheds

Craft time at kids club

Jay and Me

Bubbles with Jill and Jay
 
 

Saturday, March 22, 2014

"My ways are not your ways," says the Lord.

I've been thinking about our church's mission trip to White Swan this summer.  Thinking about it with a sense of irony.

I've scheduled about 8 pre-trip meetings for the team.  I'm sure I'm looking forward to them more than the rest of the team.

I'm looking forward to spending time on the Reservation.  Seeing kids like Jay, Michael, Lucas, Marcus, Skyler, Keanu.  These children made in the image of God that the world has forgotten.  Looking forward to working on a service project to show a bit of the love of Christ to a family that is beyond forgotten.  I'm actually sad that our trip goes over the 4th of July and we will only have four days of Kid's Club instead of five.

I'm looking forward to seeing the staff too.  I think of myself as one of them even though I'm not yet.  I want to share with them the good things and the bad.  I want to see how the Lord is working and using them in the lives of the Yakamas.  And to see how the Lord is working in the lives of the staff.  I pray the Lord is doing as much in their hearts as He has done in my heart the last few months.

What is so ironic is that I didn't even want to go on the last trip.  I thought I was going to spend all my time on the work team and others were going to work with the kids.  I thought I had more important things to do than that trip.

Good thing the Lord is smarter than I am.  Good thing He is faithful to those that sometimes are not faithful to Him.  Praise God.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Our God is so Good.

 
Photo: I'm not the only one ready to see y'all back on the Rez!

"Pray the two sisters I love will be bold enough to go to church together and enjoy themselves. They are quiet and cautious, but pray that they will remember the Sacred Road staff from Kids Club this summer and feel welcome," reads my post from February 3rd.

This little kiddo came to church on Sunday!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for praying with me for this precious daughter of the King. After over eight months of praying that Rida would come to church, the Lord answered our prayers and brought her safely to church with the same beautiful smile that I saw in the summer! We serve an amazing God! Thank Him with me and please continue to pray for her little heart, that she will continue to come and feel the unending love of Christ.

I am full speed ahead to the Rez. I am so excited. My week has been made. Ahh! I am just so happy. I'm pretty sure I did a little happy dance in my room on Sunday night when I saw her face again. I have hardly stopped smiling! I don't think there are any words beyond these that can accurately describe how I feel: God is so good. So unbelievably good.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Stirring up our hearts

What were some of the ways you knew God was calling you to Sacred Road?  We get this question a lot.  So this is another post on ways we feel God pointed us to Sacred Road.  We were always amazed as we put one foot in front of the other, He kept taking our hands, leading us along and stirring our hearts. 

One example was this:  Rachel and I attended a Bible Quiz meet in September.  There was a devotional given by one of the quizzer's fathers.  He began his talk and shared something along these lines, "As most of you know, I left my software engineering job last year to become a high school math teacher.  I felt God was calling me to work with youth.  I left a great salary for a smaller paying job.  But it was worth it and I know I am right where God wants me to be."  Rachel and I both looked at each other with wide eyes.  This was another stir I was beginning to feel in my heart -- God might be calling Darren to leave a good salary for a special job on an Indian Reservation.

Another example:  Darren went to our pastor, Sy Nease, and told him one day that he was thinking about doing something crazy.  He was thinking of leaving his career as a CPA to move to Eastern Washington and join the staff of Sacred Road.  Do you know what Sy said back to him?  "I've been praying for a missionary to be raised up from our congregation at Exile Presbyterian Church." This was just another way God continued to encourage us.

Another example:  Last summer I read the book, "Kisses From Katie" -- a wonderful book about a young lady who goes to Africa to serve orphans.  She eventually adopts several orphaned children and runs an amazing, growing ministry there.  I had Emily and Rachel each read the book as well.  The girls commented to me that while they had enjoyed the book, they both knew the chances of something like this happening in their own life were slim.  But, little did we know, the Lord was preparing our hearts.  And as we began to feel the Lord's call to Sacred Road, the three of us agreed how providential it had been that we had read this book. 

One Sunday our pastor preached a sermon. At one point he commented that it is a blessing when men can have careers that involve the whole family.  He mentioned the downside to careers that consume a person and separate family relations.  I got the message, but I'm not sure I liked the part about the consuming career.  Especially because Darren's job as a CPA is not one that can involve our family.  He works a lot of overtime.  His job is time consuming.  There are months where we don't see him very much.  I justified the sermon in my head with the fact that some people may not understand this type of career.  I still had a funny feeling though in my heart.

Then one day this sermon popped back into my head when we were talking about Sacred Road. Darren mentioned he liked the idea of all of us having this opportunity to serve the Lord alongside each other in this ministry.  I realized that sermon was a part of the stirring up of my heart -- to open my eyes to see the blessing of Darren in a different kind of job.

We prayed for the Lord to make it clear about going to Sacred Road and these are the sort of things that began to happen.  He began to fill our minds and hearts with His plan for us.  "Lord, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer."  Psalm 94:19

 

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Ed Harper is Awesome!

We would like to give a big shout out (as the kids like to say) to Ed Harper.  He ran a marathon this morning down in LA in 4:07:26.  Way to go! I'd be lucky if I could ride a bicycle 26.2 miles in 4 hours.

But more than just running the marathon, Ed used this as a way to raise money for us to go to Sacred Road. We don't know the final total of funds raised, but as soon as we do we'll let everyone know.

It has been a blessing to us to know that we have friends like Ed (and his wife Marcia and kids) that love Sacred Road.  To give of themselves, their time, and their money for Sacred Road is awesome.

If you would like to continue to support Ed and his efforts, here's how you can do that:

1. Checks can be mailed to:  Sacred Road Ministries, PO Box 400, Harrah, WA  98933.  Include "Maxfield" in the memo line of your check.
2. You can give via PayPal on the website if you go to the giving page, check the box by our name and follow the prompts.   www.sacredroadministries.com
3.  If you would like to make this a monthly donation, you can also go to your bank and have them set up to write automatic checks each month and mail to the above address at Sacred Road.  You'll also need to include "Maxfield" in the memo line of your check.

Thank you Ed and for everyone that supported him in prayer and financial contribution.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

I want to be there.

I'm sure you've gotten this idea by now, but in case you haven't:  I cannot wait to be a part of the things happening on the Rez! I miss that busy week last summer and I can't wait to live it again.

Yakama? is written on many a Sunday's square in the calendar. I wish wholeheartedly that I could cross out the ? and the plans could be confirmed. I can guarantee that every Saturday there are thoughts of, "Let me check the weather forecast." Every Saturday I hope that there won't be snow and that someone will spontaneously suggest visiting Yakama the next day for church.

Kids Clubs are happening over two weeks during the month of March. The SRM team will meet at the housing projects again for the same VBS-type-activities that go on during the summer. I would almost give anything to be there! I am already praying, and I hope you will join me in praying, that these two weeks will be some of the best ever. That kids will come and enjoy themselves and receive the love of Christ. And also for the staff and interns, that they will be filled with an abundance of love and patience and peace over the month of March in all of the prep for these two weeks.

I am in my homey-suburbs for a reason and the Lord has tasks for me here, but I can't help but hope that one of these days the weather forecast will be clear of snow and we will head back over to the Rez.